


Solace

by Carzekiel101



Category: The Walking Dead (TV), carzekiel - Fandom
Genre: F/M, episode tag 8x04 Some Guy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:14:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26561980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carzekiel101/pseuds/Carzekiel101
Summary: Carol comforts Ezekiel after the events of episode 8x04 "Some guy".
Relationships: Ezekiel/Carol Peletier
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	Solace

**Solace**

Disclaimer: They`re not mine. Not making any profit with them. Just having fun.

Carol watches as Ezekiel retreats to the theater, his shoulders slumped in defeat, limping on his cane. There isn`t anything left of the proud and confident King she left the Kingdom with this morning as they headed out into war. All of them knew the stakes, knew that losses were to be expected, but the complete wipeout of their contingent was something that even Carol hadn`t seen coming. And then Shiva. Carol`s heart clenches in pain and sympathy for Ezekiel.

She has no idea how or when it happened. But the man she prejudiced as a joke upon first meeting him has become more and more important to her. Truth be told, he was more important than anybody else. That`s why she broke her own rule of always putting the benefit of the group above her own when she saw Ezekiel and Jerry trapped. In that second, Carol made a decision. She decided to accept her feelings, decided that it was okay to let someone into her heart again. To make him her priority, no matter what.

The remaining residents of the Kingdom are still gathered around her, demanding to know what has happened. Carol knows that she should probably talk to them, but her mind is completely fixed on Ezekiel. Ignoring the questions, Carol marches through them, following Ezekiel, leaving Jerry to deal with the other people. She enters the theater, expecting to find Ezekiel on his throne, but he`s not there. Leaving her weapon on the wooden chair, Carol looks around the room, wondering where he may have gone.

She decides to take the left door off the stage, walking down the hall that leads into the back part of the building. Carol knows that there are mostly storage rooms back here, but there are also locker rooms and showers. Her assumption where to find Ezekiel is confirmed when she hears water running, turning in the direction of the sounds. She enters a small locker room and finds his soiled clothes and armor in a heap on the floor, steam drifting in through the open door to the adjoining shower.

Unsure what to do now, Carol remains still, listening carefully. Still, the only sound she hears is that of the rushing water. After a couple moments of waiting, she becomes restless, her worry overtaking her rational thought. She approaches the open door and taking a deep breath, peaks around the corner. There he is with his back to her. Unmoving, hands braced on the wall before him, head bowed down, the water pouring down on him.

Carol`s heart instantly beats faster seeing Ezekiel like that. His smooth, dark colored skin, his physique is calling out to her, attracting her on a completely unknown level that is overwhelming in its intensity. But even though Carol cannot help her body, her primal nature, reacting to him, it is her heart and mind, her soul, that is even more drawn to him, wanting nothing more than to console him in this heart-breaking state he is in.

Before she even realizes what she is doing, she steps completely into the small room, standing a little ways behind Ezekiel, not saying a word. He doesn`t turn around, nor does he move at all, but Carol knows that he has picked up on her presence. He always does.

“Leave me alone.”

The sound of his voice, so tired and broken, makes tears sting her eyes. This was so wrong. It shouldn`t have happened this way. Carol takes a tentative step forward, her mind not quite able to form a coherent thought. She stops though, when she notices Ezekiel tensing.

“Please.” She can barely hear him now over the sound of the water.

Two tears run down her cheeks, their paths clearly visible on her dirt covered face. Carol wipes them away absentmindedly and after another second of hesitation turns around and steps back into the locker room. Her mind is empty, her eyes fixed on the pile of his clothing. She aches deep inside, not so much because of herself, but because of him. Over the past couple years Carol carefully build wall after wall around her heart, protecting herself from feeling too much. Ezekiel somehow has managed to find a way through and now his pain was hers. On an impulse, Carol starts peeling away her own armor and clothing, adding it to the pile on the floor.

Not allowing herself to think about what she is doing, she steps back into the shower. Ezekiel still hasn`t moved but this time he slightly tilts his head when he hears her approaching him. Carol steps up close to him, pressing her naked body against his back. Her hands slide up his chest, securing him to her. The water is barely lukewarm anymore, goosebumps rising all over her body, but she doesn`t care. Resting her chin on his shoulder, Carol whispers into Ezekiel`s ear.

“It`s okay. I`m here. I have your back.”

He is shaking in her embrace, though Carol is not sure whether it is of the slowly cooling water or his emotions. A sob escapes his throat and finally he`s moving, dropping his hands from the wall and turning in her arms, clutching her to him as if his life depended on it. Ezekiel buries his face in her hair, his breath coming in shallow gasps, making her skin prickle. The water is really cold now and so Carol reaches around to turn it off, her hand quickly returning to Ezekiel`s back, soothing him.

They stand like this for what feels like an eternity, just holding each other, neither of them speaking a word. It`s not necessary. Slowly, Ezekiel relaxes, his breathing going back to normal. He eases his hold on Carol, but doesn`t let go, one of his hands tangling in her hair, the other one lightly resting on her hip. He moves his head so their foreheads are pressed together.

“Thank you. I know what you did back there.”

Ezekiel pulls back so his eyes finally meet Carol`s, the emotions swirling in them causing new tears to pool in hers. One hand still tightly wrapped around his waist, she places her other hand on his cheek, caressing his beard. She knows without a doubt that what she did was the right decision, for herself and for him. Letting all her guards down, Carol allows Ezekiel to see her own emotions, allows him to see how important he is for her.

“I would always do it again.”

A small smile appears on his lips. Not his usual mind-blowing smile that always makes her heart beat wildly out of control, but it`s enough for now. It will take a while to cope with the losses and the war has only just begun. But no matter what would happen from now on, their fates were now bound together. Ezekiel leans down to softly brush his lips over hers. The kiss can barely be described as such, just a whisper of a caress. A promise.

“I love you. And when all of this is over, I will show you just how much.”

His words should be a surprise to Carol, but they are not. And neither are they frightening her. Nor is the fact that she is standing here with him completely naked, vulnerable. For reasons beyond her comprehension, Carol feels completely at ease, as if being like this with Ezekiel was the most natural thing in the world. As if this is the place she was meant to be her whole life. So instead of running away or backing away from him, Carol brings their bodies even closer together, again resting her head on his shoulder, placing her hand over his heart.

The time for them being together wasn`t there just yet. But it would be. Soon.

**Author's Note:**

> Been re-watching episode 8x04 “Some guy” last night and for some reason I had this picture in my mind.   
> As always, reviews much appreciated.


End file.
